Robert De Niro Says He’ll Be ‘Lucky’ If He Makes $7.5 Million This Year, Cuts Estranged Wife’s Monthly Allowance

Robert De Niro Says He’ll Be ‘Lucky’ If He Makes $7.5 Million This Year, Cuts Estranged Wife’s Monthly Allowance

Legendary actor/entrepreneur Robert De Niro, 76, and estranged wife Grace Hightower, 65, are now enthralled in a court battle about money, and he said COVID-19 has put him in a sticky position. As previously reported, Grace Hightower initially wanted half of Robert’s $500 million empires, but according to their prenup – she’s only entitled to a $6 million apartment, $500,000 in cash and $1 million for alimony every year.

Robert de Niro & Grace Hightower

An emergency court hearing was called earlier this week due to the actor cutting his ex’s monthly American Express credit card limit from $100K to $50K. Grace also relayed through her attorney that she and their two children – Elliot, 21, and Helen, 8 – had been banned from his compound in upstate New York. Grace’s lawyer Kevin McDough gave this statement:

“The idea that Mr De Niro is tightening his belt is nonsense…Mr. De Niro has used the COVID pandemic, my words would be, to stick it to his wife financially…I’m not a believer that a man who has an admitted worth of $500 million and makes $30 million a year, all of a sudden in March he needs to cut down [spousal support] by 50 percent and ban her from the house.”

But De Niro and his team allege that his income has been drastically affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Caroline Krauss, his attorney – says that his chain of Nobu restaurants lost a total of nearly $5 million in revenue since April. His hotel hasn’t been in operation, and Robert De Niro has only amassed around $2.5 million from the Oscar-nominated Netflix film, “The Irishman.” Caroline Krauss commented:

“His accounts and business manager says that the best case for Mr De Niro, if everything starts to turn around this year, he is going to be lucky if he makes $7.5 million this year…he doesn’t have the cash.”

She continued:

“These people, in spite of his robust earnings, have always spent more than he has earned. So this 76-year-old robust man couldn’t retire even if he wanted to because he can’t afford to keep up with his lifestyle expense.”

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper issued a temporary ruling that Grace should be paid $75,000 for a summer home, and her credit card limit will remain at $50K.

What are your thoughts on Robert de Niro’s alleged financial woes? Let us know in the comments.